This invention relates to electrical connection and connectors.
The invention is more particularly concerned with connectors for making electrical connection to a screening sleeve of an electrical cable.
Where electrical connection is made to the screening sleeve of an electrical cable, it preferably has a low resistance and the connection is preferably of a kind that can be easily made and removed for servicing. If the screening sleeve is braided, it is preferable that the connection can be made without the need to separate the braid from the signal conductor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector for making connection to a conductive sleeve of a cable.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical connector for making connection to a conductive sleeve of a cable of the kind comprising an inner conductor, an insulating sheath extending around the inner conductor and a conductive sleeve extending around the insulating sheath and exposed at least along a part of its length on the outer surface of the cable, the connector including a housing containing a wad of electrically-conductive filamentary material arranged to make electrical connection with the conductive sleeve and with an electrically-conductive surface in the housing.
The electrically-conductive filamentary material is preferably encapsulated with another material such as a resilient material, for example, elastomeric silicone. The wad may be preformed with a passage for the cable, the filamentary material being exposed in the passage and on an external surface of the wad. The housing is preferably of an electrically-conductive material. The connector may include a shell supporting an electrical contact element connected with the inner conductor, the housing being a backshell screwed onto the shell.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical connector assembly including a connector according to the above one aspect of the invention and a cable extending through the wad of electrically-conductive material.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical connector assembly comprising a connector and a cable, the cable including an inner conductor, an insulating sheath extending around the inner conductor and a conductive sleeve extending around the insulating sheath and exposed at least along a part of its length on the outer surface of the cable, the connector including a forward shell supporting a contact element, a backshell having an electrically-conductive inner surface, and a wad of electrically-conductive filamentary material located in the backshell, the wad having a passage therethrough, the cable extending through the passage with the conductive sleeve exposed in the passage and the inner conductor projecting beyond the wad and being connected with the contact element, and the filamentary material being exposed in the passage and on the external surface of the wad so that the wad makes electrical connection between the conductive sleeve and the electrically-conductive surface in the backshell.
An electrical connector assembly including a connector according to the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.